Events

38 BC – Octavian marries Livia Drusilla.

1287 – King Alfonso III of Aragon invades Minorca.

1377 – Pope Gregory XI moves the Papacy back to Rome from Avignon.

1524 – Giovanni da Verrazzano sets sail westward from Madeira to find a sea route to the Pacific Ocean.

1562 – France recognizes the Huguenots under the Edict of Saint-Germain.

1595 – Henry IV of France declares war on Spain.

1608 – Emperor Susenyos of Ethiopia surprises an Oromo army at Ebenat; his army reportedly kills 12,000 Oromo at the cost of 400 men.

1648 – England's Long Parliament passes the Vote of No Addresses, breaking off negotiations with King Charles I and thereby setting the scene for the second phase of the English Civil War.

1773 – Captain James Cook and his crew become the first Europeans to sail below the Antarctic Circle.

1781 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Cowpens – Continental troops under Brigadier General Daniel Morgan defeat British forces under Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton at the battle in South Carolina.

1799 – Maltese patriot Dun Mikiel Xerri, along with a number of other patriots, is executed.

1811 – Mexican War of Independence: In the Battle of Calderón Bridge, a heavily outnumbered Spanish force of 6,000 troops defeats nearly 100,000 Mexican revolutionists.

1852 – The United Kingdom recognizes the independence of the Boer colonies of the Transvaal.

1873 – A group of Modoc warriors defeats the United States Army in the First Battle of the Stronghold, a part of the Modoc War.

1885 – A British force defeats a large Dervish army at the Battle of Abu Klea in the Sudan.

1893 – The Citizen's Committee of Public Safety, led by Lorrin A. Thurston, overthrows the government of Queen Liliuokalani of the Kingdom of Hawaii.

1899 – The United States takes possession of Wake Island in the Pacific Ocean.

1903 – El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico becomes part of the United States National Forest System as the Luquillo Forest Reserve.

1904 – Anton Chekhov's ''The Cherry Orchard'' receives its premiere performance at the Moscow Art Theatre.

1912 – Captain Robert Falcon Scott reaches the South Pole, one month after Roald Amundsen.

1913 – Raymond Poincaré is elected President of France.

1917 – The United States pays Denmark $25 million for the Virgin Islands.

1918 – Finnish Civil War: The first serious battles take place between the Red Guards and the White Guard.

1929 – Popeye the Sailor Man, a cartoon character created by Elzie Segar, first appears in the Thimble Theatre comic strip.

1929 – Inayatullah Khan, king of the Emirate of Afghanistan abdicates the throne after only three days into his reign.

1941 – Franco-Thai War: French forces inflict a decisive victory over the Royal Thai Navy.

1944 – World War II: Allied forces launch the first of four battles with the intention of breaking through the Winter Line and seizing Rome, an effort that would ultimately take four months and cost 105,000 Allied casualties.

1945 – World War II: Soviet forces capture the almost completely destroyed Polish city of Warsaw.

1945 – The Nazis begin the evacuation of the Auschwitz concentration camp as Soviet forces close in.

1945 – Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg is taken into Soviet custody while in Hungary; he is never publicly seen again.

1946 – The UN Security Council holds its first session.

1949 – ''The Goldbergs'', the first sitcom on American television, first airs.

1950 – The Great Brinks Robbery – 11 thieves steal more than $2 million from an armored car Company's offices in Boston, Massachusetts.

1961 – U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower delivers a televised farewell address to the nation three days before leaving office, in which he warns against the accumulation of power by the "military-industrial complex".

1961 – Former Congolese Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba is murdered in circumstances suggesting the support and complicity of the governments of Belgium and the United States.

1966 – A B-52 bomber collides with a KC-135 Stratotanker over Spain, dropping three 70-kiloton nuclear bombs near the town of Palomares and another one into the sea in the Palomares incident.

1969 – Black Panther Party members Bunchy Carter and John Huggins are killed during a meeting in Campbell Hall on the campus of UCLA.

1977 – Convicted murderer Gary Gilmore is executed by a firing squad in Utah, ending a ten-year moratorium on Capital punishment in the United States.

1981 – President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos lifts martial law eight years and five months after declaring it.

1982 – "Cold Sunday" - in the United States temperatures fell to their lowest levels in over 100 years in numerous cities.

1983 – The tallest department store in the world, Hudson's, flagship store in downtown Detroit closes due to high cost of operating.

1989 – Cleveland School massacre: Patrick Purdy opens fire with an assault rifle at the Cleveland Elementary School playground in Stockton, California, killing five children and wounding 29 others and one teacher before taking his own life.

1991 – Gulf War: Operation Desert Storm begins early in the morning. Iraq fires 8 Scud missiles into Israel in an unsuccessful bid to provoke Israeli retaliation.

1991 – Harald V becomes King of Norway on the death of his father, Olav V.

1992 – During a visit to South Korea, Japanese Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa apologizes for forcing Korean women into sexual slavery during World War II.

1994 – 1994 Northridge earthquake: A magnitude 6.7 earthquake hits Northridge, California.

1995 – The Great Hanshin earthquake: A magnitude 7.3 earthquake hits near Kobe, Japan, causing extensive property damage and killing 6,434 people.

1996 – The Czech Republic applies for membership of the European Union.

1997 – A Delta 2 carrying a GPS2R satellite explodes 13 seconds after launch, dropping 250 tons of burning rocket remains around the launch pad.

1998 – Lewinsky scandal: Matt Drudge breaks the story of the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky affair on his website ''The Drudge Report''.

2001 – U.S. President Bill Clinton posthumously raises Meriwether Lewis' rank from Lieutenant to Captain.

2002 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, displacing an estimated 400,000 people.

2007 – The Doomsday Clock is set to five minutes to midnight in response to North Korea nuclear testing.

2008 – British Airways Flight 38 crash lands just short of London Heathrow Airport in England with no fatalities. It is the first complete hull loss of a Boeing 777.

2010 – Rioting begins between Muslim and Christian groups in Jos, Nigeria, resulting in at least 200 deaths.

Births

1463 – Frederick III of Saxony, Elector of Saxony (d. 1525)

1484 – George Spalatin, German reformer (d. 1545)

1501 – Leonhart Fuchs, German physician and botanist (d. 1566)

1504 – Pope Saint Pius V (d. 1572)

1560 – Gaspard Bauhin, Swiss botanist (d. 1624)

1600 – Pedro Calderón de la Barca, Spanish playwright (d. 1681)

1612 – Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron, English Civil War general (d. 1671)

1666 – Antonio Maria Valsalva, Italian anatomist (d. 1723)

1686 – Archibald Bower, Scottish historian (d. 1766)

1706 – Benjamin Franklin, American statesman and inventor (d. 1790)

1712 – John Stanley, English composer (d. 1786)

1719 – William Vernon, American merchant (d. 1806)

1732 – King Stanislaw II August Poniatowski of Poland (d. 1798)

1734 – François-Joseph Gossec, Belgian composer (d. 1829)

1761 – James Hall, Scottish geologist (d. 1832)

1789 – August Neander, German theologian (d. 1850)

1814 – Mrs. Henry Wood, English novelist (d. 1887)

1820 – Anne Brontë, British author (d. 1849)

1828 – Eduard Remenyi, Hungarian violinist (d. 1898)

1828 – Lewis A. Grant, American Civil War general (d. 1918)

1831 – Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria (d. 1903)

1832 – Henry Martyn Baird, American educationalist (d. 1906)

1834 – August Weismann, German biologist (d. 1914)

1850 – Aleksandr Taneyev, Russian composer (d. 1918)

1851 – A. B. Frost, American illustrator (d. 1928)

1853 – Alva Belmont, American socialite (d. 1933)

1857 – Wilhelm Kienzl, Austrian composer (d. 1941)

1857 – Eugene Augustin Lauste, French inventor (d. 1935)

1858 – Tomás Carrasquilla, Colombian writer (d. 1940)

1860 – Douglas Hyde, Irish President of Ireland (d. 1949)

1863 – David Lloyd George, British Prime Minister (d. 1945)

1863 – Constantin Stanislavski, Russian theatre practitioner (d. 1938)

1865 – Charles Fergusson, Governor-General of New Zealand (d. 1951)

1867 – Carl Laemmle, German-born film executive (d. 1939)

1871 – David Earl Beatty British admiral (d. 1936)

1871 – Nicolae Iorga, Romanian writer (d. 1940)

1875 – Florencio Sánchez, Uruguayan dramatist (d. 1910)

1876 – Frank Hague, American politician (d. 1956)

1877 – May Gibbs, Australian children's author (d. 1969)

1880 – Mack Sennett, Canadian film director (d. 1960)

1881 – Antoni Łomnicki, Polish mathematician (d. 1941)

1881 – Harry Price, English psychic researcher and writer (d. 1948)

1882 – Noah Beery, Sr., American actor (d. 1946)

1883 – Sir Compton Mackenzie, Scottish novelist (d. 1972)

1886 – Ronald Firbank, British novelist (d. 1926)

1886 – Glenn L. Martin, American aviation pioneer (d. 1955)

1887 – Ola Raknes, Norwegian psychoanalyst and philologist (d. 1975)

1897 – Marcel Petiot, French mass murderer (d. 1946)

1899 – Al Capone, American gangster (d. 1947)

1899 – Robert Maynard Hutchins, president of University of Chicago (d. 1977)

1899 – Nevil Shute, English author (d. 1960)

1901 – Aron Gurwitsch, Lithuanian-born philosopher (d. 1973)

1902 – Nâzım Hikmet, Turkish poet (d. 1963)

1903 – Jyoti Prasad Agarwala, Assamese poet, playwright, film maker (d. 1953)

1903 – Warren Hull, American actor (d. 1974)

1905 – Ray Cunningham, American baseball player (d. 2005)

1905 – Peggy Gilbert, American jazz saxophonist and bandleader (d. 2007)

1905 – Guillermo Stábile, Argentine footballer (d. 1966)

1905 – Jan Zahradníček, Czech poet (d. 1960)

1907 – Henk Badings, Dutch composer (d. 1987)

1908 – Cus D'Amato, American boxing manager (d. 1985)

1911 – George Joseph Stigler, American economist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1991)

1914 – Anacleto Angelini, Chilean businessman (d. 2007)

1914 – Irving Brecher, American Screenwriter (d. 2008)

1914 – William Stafford, American poet and essayist (d. 1993)

1916 – Peter Frelinghuysen, American politician

1917 – Ramón Cardemil, Chilean huaso (d. 2007)

1917 – M. G. Ramachandran, Indian politician, actor (d. 1987)

1918 – Keith Joseph, British politician (d. 1994)

1918 – George M. Leader, American politician and 36th Governor of Pennsylvania

1920 – Georges Pichard, French comics artist (d. 2003)

1921 – Antonio Prohías, Cuban cartoonist (d. 1998)

1922 – Robert De Niro, Sr., American painter (d. 1993)

1922 – Luis Echeverría Álvarez, Mexican President of Mexico

1922 – Nicholas Katzenbach, American jurist and 65th United States Attorney General

1922 – Betty White, American actress

1923 – Carol Raye, Australian actress

1925 – Robert Cormier, American author, columnist and reporter (d. 2000)

1925 – Abdul Kardar, Pakistani cricketer (d. 1996)

1925 – Edgar Ray Killen, American convict, former preacher and K.K.K. member

1925 – Patricia Owens, Canadian actress (d. 2000)

1926 – Newton N. Minow, American lawyer and statesman

1926 – Moira Shearer, Scottish actress (d. 2006)

1927 – Tom Dooley, American humanitarian (d. 1961)

1927 – Norman Kaye, Australian actor and musician (d. 2007)

1927 – Eartha Kitt, American actress and singer (d. 2008)

1927 – E.W. Swackhamer, American television & film director (d. 1994)

1928 – Jean Barraqué, French composer (d. 1973)

1928 – Vidal Sassoon, English cosmetologist

1929 – Jacques Plante, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1986)

1930 – Eddie LeBaron, American football player

1931 – James Earl Jones, American actor

1931 – L. Douglas Wilder, American 66th Governor of Virginia

1931 – Don Zimmer, American baseball coach

1932 – Sheree North, American actress (d. 2005)

1933 – Dalida, French singer (d. 1987)

1933 – Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, French-born Pakistani diplomat (UN High Commissioner for Refugees) (d. 2003)

1933 – Shari Lewis, American ventriloquist (d. 1998)

1934 – Donald Cammell, Scottish film director (d. 1996)

1935 – Ruth Ann Minner, American politician, businesswoman and 72nd Governor of Delaware

1937 – Alain Badiou, French philosopher

1938 – John Bellairs, American mystery author (d. 1991)

1939 – Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All Greece (d. 2008)

1939 – Maury Povich, American talk show host

1940 – Kipchoge Keino, Kenyan runner

1940 – Tabaré Vázquez, President of Uruguay

1941 – Dame Gillian Weir, New Zealand organist

1942 – Muhammad Ali, American boxer

1942 – Ita Buttrose, Australian journalist and businesswoman

1942 – Ulf Hoelscher, German violinist

1942 – Nancy Parsons, American actress (d. 2001)

1943 – Geoffrey Deuel, American actor

1943 – Chris Montez, American singer

1943 – René Préval, President of Haiti

1944 – Françoise Hardy, French singer

1945 – Javed Akhtar, Indian lyricist, poet and scriptwriter

1946 – Michèle Deslauriers, Quebec actress

1948 – Jim Ladd, American freeform (radio format) Disc Jockey

1948 – Davíð Oddsson, former Prime Minister of Iceland

1948 – Anne Queffélec, French pianist

1949 – Andy Kaufman, American comedian (d. 1984)

1949 – Mick Taylor, British musician (The Rolling Stones)

1950 – Luis López Nieves, Latin American writer

1952 – Darrell Porter, American baseball player (d. 2002)

1952 – Larry Fortensky, American former husband of Elizabeth Taylor

1952 – Ryuichi Sakamoto, Japanese musician

1953 – Jeff Berlin, American musician

1953 – Carlos Johnson, American blues musician

1954 – Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., American lawyer and environmental activist, son of Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Kennedy

1954 – Susan Kiefel, Australian lawyer and judge

1955 – Steve Earle, American musician

1955 – Steve Javie, American professional basketball referee

1956 – Paul Young, English musician

1957 – Keith Chegwin, English television presenter

1957 – Steve Harvey, American actor, comedian and radio personality

1957 – Ann Nocenti, American comic book writer

1957 – Michel Vaarten, Belgian cyclist

1958 – Valdas Kasparavičius, Lithuanian footballer

1959 – Susanna Hoffs, American musician

1959 – Momoe Yamaguchi, Japanese singer and actress

1960 – John Crawford, American musician

1960 – Chili Davis, Jamaican-born American baseball player

1960 – Chatchai Plengpanich, Thai actor

1961 – Maia Chiburdanidze, Georgian Chess grandmaster

1961 – Brian Helgeland, American writer and film director

1962 – Jim Carrey, Canadian actor and comedian

1962 – Sebastian Junger, American journalist and author

1963 – Kai Hansen, German singer and guitarist (Gamma Ray)

1964 – Michelle Obama, First Lady of the United States

1964 – Andy Rourke, English bass guitarist (The Smiths)

1965 – Nikos Nioplias, Greek footballer

1965 – Sylvain Turgeon, Canadian ice hockey player

1966 – Joshua Malina, American actor

1966 – Stephin Merritt, American singer and songwriter (The Magnetic Fields, The 6ths, The Gothic Archies)

1966 – Shabba Ranks, Jamaican singer

1967 – Richard Hawley, English singer, guitarist, and songwriter (Pulp, The Longpigs)

1967 – Song Kang-ho, South Korean actor

1967 – Filippo Raciti, Italian police officer (d. 2007)

1968 – Svetlana Masterkova, Russian athlete

1968 – Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer, Dutch writer

1968 – Craig Strong, American actor & voice actor

1969 – Naveen Andrews, British actor

1969 – Lukas Moodysson, Swedish film writer and director

1969 – Tijs Verwest, (DJ Tiësto) Dutch DJ

1970 – Jeremy Roenick, American ice hockey player

1970 – Genndy Tartakovsky, Russian-born animator

1970 – James Wattana, Thai snooker player

1971 – Richard Burns, English rally driver (d. 2005)

1971 – Youki Kudoh, Japanese actress

1971 – Kid Rock, American singer

1971 – Sylvie Testud, French actress

1971 – Paolo Vaccari, Italian rugby player

1971 – Ann Wolfe, female boxer

1972 – Benno Fürmann, German actor

1972 – Ken Hirai, Japanese singer and songwriter

1973 – Cuauhtémoc Blanco, Mexican footballer

1973 – Liz Ellis, Australian netball captain

1973 – Aaron Ward, Canadian ice hockey player

1974 – Danny Bhoy, Scottish comedian

1974 – Yang Chen, Chinese footballer

1974 – Derrick Mason, American football player

1974 – Vesko Kountchev, Bulgarian musician

1975 – Tom Jenkinson, English musician (Squarepusher)

1975 – Freddy Rodriguez, Puerto Rican-American actor

1975 – Rami Yacoub, Swedish songwriter/producer

1977 – Kevin Fertig, American professional wrestler

1977 – Leigh Whannell, Australian screenwriter/actor

1978 – Pater Sparrow, Hungarian director/production designer

1979 – Oleg Lisogor, Ukrainian swimmer

1980 – Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Ukrainian ballroom dancer

1980 – Zooey Deschanel, American actress

1980 – Gareth McLearnon, Northern Irish flautist

1980 – Kimberly Spicer, American model

1981 – Warren Feeney, Northern Irish footballer

1981 – Ray J, American R&B; singer

1981 – Scott Mechlowicz, American actor

1982 – Hwanhee, South Korean singer and actor

1982 – Dwyane Wade, American basketball player

1982 – Amanda Wilkinson, Canadian singer

1983 – Álvaro Arbeloa, Spanish footballer

1983 – Johannes Herber, German basketball player

1983 – Rick Kelly, Australian racing driver

1984 – Sophie Dee, Welsh pornographic actress

1984 – Calvin Harris, Scottish music producer and vocalist

1985 – Pablo Barrientos, Argentine footballer

1985 – Kang-in, South Korean singer, dancer, actor, MC, and DJ (Super Junior)

1985 – Riyu Kosaka, Japanese singer (BeForU)

1985 – Simone Simons, Dutch singer (Epica)

1986 – Hale Appleman, American actor

1989 – Hollie-Jay Bowes, English actress

1991 – Trevor Bauer, American baseball player

Deaths

395 – Theodosius I, Roman Emperor (b. 347)

1229 – Albert of Buxhoeveden, German soldier

1369 – King Peter I of Cyprus (murdered) (b. 1328)

1468 – George Kastrioti Skanderbeg, Albanian leader (b. 1405)

1598 – Feodor I of Russia (b. 1557)

1617 – Faust Vrančić, Croatian inventor (b. 1551)

1654 – Paulus Potter, Dutch painter (b. 1625)

1705 – John Ray, English naturalist (b. 1627)

1718 – Captain Benjamin Church, Plymouth Colony settler and military leader

1737 – Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann, German architect (b. 1662)

1738 – Jean-François Dandrieu, French composer (b. 1682)

1751 – Tomaso Albinoni, Italian composer (b. 1671)

1826 – Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga, Spanish composer (b. 1806)

1834 – Giovanni Aldini, Italian physicist (b. 1762)

1861 – Lola Montez, Irish-born adventurer (b. 1821)

1863 – Horace Vernet, French painter (b. 1789)

1869 – Aleksandr Dargomyzhsky, Russian composer (b. 1813)

1874 – Chang and Eng Bunker, Siamese twins (b. 1811)

1878 – Sir Edward Creasy, English historian (b. 1812)

1884 – Hermann Schlegel, German ornithologist (b. 1804)

1887 – William Giblin, Premier of Tasmania (b. 1840)

1891 – George Bancroft, U.S. historian (b. 1800)

1893 – Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th President of the United States (b. 1822)

1903 – Ignaz Wechselmann, Hungarian architect and philanthropist (b. 1828)

1908 – Ferdinand IV Grand Duke of Tuscany (b. 1835)

1909 – Sir Francis Smith, Premier of Tasmania (b. 1819)

1911 – Sir Francis Galton, English polymath, anthropologist, eugenicist (b. 1822)

1927 – Juliette Gordon Low, American founder of the Girl Scouts of the USA (b. 1860)

1931 – Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich of Russia, son of Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich (b. 1864)

1932 – Albert Jacka, VC, Australian soldier (b. 1893)

1933 – Louis Comfort Tiffany, American artist and designer (b. 1848)

1936 – Mateiu Caragiale, Romanian author (b. 1885)

1942 – Walther von Reichenau, German field marshal (b. 1884)

1947 – Pyotr Krasnov, Russian counter-revolutionary (b. 1869)

1947 – Jean-Marie-Rodrigue Villeneuve, French Archbishop of Quebec (b. 1883)

1952 – Walter Briggs, Sr., American entrepreneur and sports team owner (b. 1877)

1956 – Blind Alfred Reed, American folk, country, and old-time musician (b. 1880)

1961 – Patrice Lumumba, Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (b. 1925)

1964 – T.H. White, English author (b. 1906)

1967 – Evelyn Nesbit, American actress (b. 1884)

1970 – Simon Kovar, Russian-American bassoonist (b. 1890)

1970 – Billy Stewart, American singer (b. 1937)

1972 – Betty Smith, American writer and singer (b. 1896)

1977 – Gary Gilmore, American murderer (b. 1940)

1977 – Dougal Haston, Scottish mountaineer (b. 1940)

1981 – Loukas Panourgias, Greek footballer (b. 1899)

1983 – Doodles Weaver, American actor (b. 1911)

1987 – Hugo Fregonese, Argentine film director (b. 1908)

1991 – King Olav V of Norway (b. 1903)

1992 – Frank Pullen, English businessman and racehorse owner (b. 1915)

1993 – Albert Hourani, English historian (b. 1915)

1994 – Helen Stephens, American runner (b. 1918)

1994 – Yevgeni Ivanov, Soviet spy involved in the Profumo affair (b. 1926)

1996 – Amber Hagerman, American namesake of the Amber Alert system (b. 1986)

1996 – Barbara Jordan, American politician (b. 1936)

1996 – Mostafa Sid Ahmed, Sudanese singer (b. 1953)

1997 – Bert Kelly, Australian politician (b. 1912)

1997 – Clyde Tombaugh, American astronomer (b. 1906)

1998 – Junior Kimbrough, American bluesman (b. 1930)

1999 – Robert Eads, American transsexual (b. 1945)

1999 – Samantha Reid, American girl killed by GHB overdose (b. 1984)

2000 – Philip Jones, British trumpeter (b. 1928)

2001 – Gregory Corso, American poet (b. 1930)

2002 – Camilo José Cela, Spanish writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1916)

2002 – Bishop Karas, Sudanese-born American religious leader (b. 1955)

2002 – Queenie Leonard, American actress (b. 1905)

2003 – Richard Crenna, American actor (b. 1926)

2003 – Balint Vazsonyi, Hungarian pianist (b. 1936)

2004 – Harry Brecheen, American baseball player (b. 1914)

2004 – Czesław Niemen, Polish musician (b. 1939)

2004 – Ray Stark, American stage and film producer (b. 1915)

2004 – Noble Willingham, American actor (b. 1931)

2005 – Charlie Bell, Australian fast food executive (b. 1960)

2005 – Virginia Mayo, American actress (b. 1920)

2005 – Albert Schatz, American microbiologist (b. 1920)

2005 – Zhao Ziyang, Former Premier of the People's Republic of China (b. 1919)

2006 – Clarence Ray Allen, American murderer (b. 1930)

2006 – Pierre Grondin, French Canadian cardiac surgeon (b. 1925)

2007 – Art Buchwald, American humorist (b. 1925)

2007 – Yevhen Kushnaryov, Ukrainian politician (b. 1951)

2008 – Bobby Fischer, American chess grandmaster and author (b. 1943)

2008 – Ernie Holmes, American football player (b. 1948)

2008 – Allan Melvin, American actor (b. 1923)

2009 – Anders Isaksson, Swedish journalist, writer, and historian (b. 1943)

2010 – Jyoti Basu, Indian politician (b. 1914)

2010 – Daisuke Gouri, Japanese seiyu (b. 1952)

2010 – Michalis Papakonstantinou, Greek politician and author (b. 1919)

2010 – Gaines Adams, American football player (b. 1983)

2011 – Don Kirshner, American composer (b. 1934)

Holidays and observances

Christian Feast Day:

*Anthony the Great (Roman Catholic and Eastern (Byzantine) Catholic Church)

*Blessed Amelbert

*Mildgytha

*Sulpitius the Pious

*January 17 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

National Day (Minorca)

The opening ceremony of Patras Carnival, celebrated until Clean Monday. (Patras)

External links

BBC: On This Day

On this day in Canada

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Category:Days of the year Category:January

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name	David Letterman
pseudonym	Earl Hofert
birth date	April 12, 1947
birth place	Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
medium	Stand-up, talk show
nationality	American
genre	Observational comedy, surreal humor, deadpan
subject	Self-deprecation, everyday life
influences	Steve Allen, Johnny Carson, Jack Paar, Paul Dixon
influenced	Jimmy Kimmel, Jim Gaffigan, Jon Stewart, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon
website	CBS.com/latenight/lateshow
active	1974–present
domesticpartner	Regina Lasko (1986-2009)
spouse	Michelle Cook (1969–1977)Regina Lasko (2009–present)
Religion	Lutheran
notable work	Host of ''Late Night with David Letterman'' (NBC)Host of ''Late Show with David Letterman'' (CBS)
signature	David Letterman Autograph.svg

}} David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, ''Late Show with David Letterman'', broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of ''Late Night with David Letterman'' on NBC. Letterman recently surpassed friend and mentor Johnny Carson for having the longest late-night hosting career in the United States.

Letterman is also a television and film producer. His company Worldwide Pants produces his show as well as its network follow-up ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson''. Worldwide Pants has also produced several prime-time comedies, the most successful of which was ''Everybody Loves Raymond'', currently in syndication.

In 1996, David Letterman was ranked #45 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time.

Early life and career

Letterman was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. His father, Harry Joseph Letterman (April 1915 – February 1973), was a florist of British descent; his mother Dorothy Letterman (''née'' Hofert, now Dorothy Mengering), a Presbyterian church secretary of German descent, is an occasional figure on the show, usually at holidays and birthdays.

Letterman lived on the north side of Indianapolis (Broad Ripple area), not far from Speedway, IN, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and he enjoyed collecting model cars, including racers. In 2000, he told an interviewer for ''Esquire'' that, while growing up, he admired his father's ability to tell jokes and be the life of the party. Harry Joseph Letterman survived a heart attack at age 36, when David was a young boy. The fear of losing his father was constantly with Letterman as he grew up. The elder Letterman died of a second heart attack at age 57.

Letterman attended his hometown's Broad Ripple High School at the same time as Marilyn Tucker Quayle (wife of the former Vice President) and worked as a stock boy at the local Atlas supermarket. According to the ''Ball State Daily News'', he originally had wanted to attend Indiana University, but his grades weren't good enough, so he decided to attend Ball State University, in Muncie, Indiana. He is a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity, and he graduated from what was then the Department of Radio and Television, in 1969. A self-described average student, Letterman endowed a scholarship for what he called "C students" at Ball State.

Though he registered for the draft and passed his physical after graduating from college, he was not drafted for service in Vietnam due to receiving a draft lottery number of 352 (out of 365).

Letterman began his broadcasting career as an announcer and newscaster at the college's student-run radio station—WBST—a 10-watt campus station which now is part of Indiana Public Radio. He was fired for treating classical music with irreverence.

Letterman then became involved with the founding of another campus station—WAGO-AM 570 (now WWHI, 91.3).

Letterman credits Paul Dixon—host of the ''Paul Dixon Show'', a Cincinnati-based talk show also shown in Indianapolis while Letterman was growing up—for inspiring his choice of career: :"I was just out of college [in 1969], and I really didn't know what I wanted to do. And then all of a sudden I saw him doing it [on TV]. And I thought: That's really what I want to do!"

Weatherman

Letterman began his career as a radio talk show host on WNTS (AM), and on Indianapolis television station WLWI (now called WTHR) as a local anchor and weatherman. He received some attention for his unpredictable on-air behavior, which included congratulating a tropical storm for being upgraded to a hurricane and predicting hail stones "the size of canned hams." He would also occasionally report the weather and the day's very high and low temps for fictitious cities ("Eight inches of snow in Bingree and surrounding areas.") while on another occasion saying that a state border had been erased. ("From space you can see the border between Indiana and Ohio has been erased. I'm not in favor of this.") He also starred in a local kiddie show, made wisecracks as host of a late night TV show called "Freeze-Dried Movies" (he once acted out a scene from "Godzilla" using plastic dinosaurs), and hosted a talk show that aired early on Saturday mornings called "Clover Power," in which he interviewed 4-H members about their projects.

In 1971, Letterman appeared as a pit road reporter for ABC Sports' tape-delayed coverage of the Indianapolis 500. David is initially introduced as Chris Economaki in his job as a corner reporter. He interviews Mario Andretti who has just crashed out of the race and asks him a question about traffic on the course.

Move to Los Angeles

In 1975, encouraged by his then-wife Michelle and several of his Sigma Chi fraternity brothers, Letterman moved to Los Angeles, California, with hope of becoming a comedy writer. He started off by writing material for comedian Jimmie Walker. He also began performing stand-up comedy at The Comedy Store, a proving ground for unknown comics.

Letterman appeared in the summer of 1977 on the short-lived ''Starland Vocal Band Show''. He has since joked about how fortunate he was that nobody would ever see his performance on the program (due to its low ratings).

Letterman had a stint as a cast member on Mary Tyler Moore's variety show, ''Mary''; a guest appearance on ''Mork & Mindy'' (as a parody of EST leader Werner Erhard); and appearances on game shows such as ''The $20,000 Pyramid'', ''The Gong Show'', ''Password Plus'' and ''Liar's Club''. He also hosted a 1977 pilot for a game show entitled ''The Riddlers'' that was never picked up. He was also screen tested for the lead role in ''Airplane!'', a role that eventually went to Robert Hays.

His dry, sarcastic humor caught the attention of scouts for ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'', and Letterman was soon a regular guest on the show. Letterman became a favorite of Carson's and was a regular guest host for the show beginning in 1978. Letterman credits Carson as the person who influenced his career the most.

NBC

Morning show

On June 23, 1980, Letterman was given his own morning comedy show on NBC, ''The David Letterman Show''. It was originally 90 minutes long, but was shortened to 60 minutes in August 1980. The show was a critical success, winning two Emmy Awards, but was a ratings disappointment and was canceled in October 1980.

''Late Night with David Letterman''

NBC kept Letterman under contract to try him in a different time slot. ''Late Night with David Letterman'' debuted February 1, 1982; the first guest on the first show was Bill Murray. Murray also guested on January 31, 2012 - 30 years later. The show ran Monday through Thursday at 12:30 a.m. Eastern Time, immediately following ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' (a Friday night broadcast was added in June 1987. It was seen as being edgy and unpredictable, and soon developed a cult following (particularly among college students). Letterman's reputation as an acerbic interviewer was borne out in verbal sparring matches with Cher (who even called him an asshole on the show), Shirley MacLaine, Charles Grodin, and Madonna. The show also featured comedy segments and running characters, in a style heavily influenced by the 1950s and '60s programs of Steve Allen. Although Ernie Kovacs is often cited as an influence on the show, Letterman has denied this.

The show often featured quirky, genre-mocking regular features, including "Stupid Pet Tricks", dropping various objects off the roof of a five-story building, demonstrations of unorthodox clothing (such as suits made of Alka-Seltzer, Velcro and suet), a recurring Top 10 list, the Monkey-Cam (and the Audience Cam), and a facetious letter-answering segment. The Top 10 list, several "Film[s] by My Dog Bob" in which a camera was mounted on Letterman's own dog (often with comic results), Stupid Human Tricks, Small Town News, and Stupid Pet Tricks (which had its origins on Letterman's morning show) all eventually moved with Letterman to CBS.

Other memorable moments included Letterman using a bullhorn to interrupt a live interview on ''The Today Show'', announcing that he was the NBC president while not wearing any pants; interrupting Al Roker on WNBC-TV's broadcast of ''Live at Five'' by walking into their studio (which occupied the same floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza as Letterman's studio); and staging "elevator races", complete with commentary by NBC Sports' Bob Costas. In one infamous appearance, in 1982, Andy Kaufman (who was already wearing a neck brace) appeared to be slapped and knocked to the ground by professional wrestler Jerry Lawler (though Lawler and Kaufman's friend Bob Zmuda later revealed that the event was staged.) In another memorable exchange, sex expert Dr. Ruth Westheimer included cucumbers in a list of handy sex objects that women could find at home. The following night, guest Ted Koppel asked Letterman "May I insert something here?" and Dave responded "OK, as long as it's not a cucumber."

''Late Show with David Letterman''

In 1992, Johnny Carson retired, and many fans believed that Letterman would become host of ''The Tonight Show''. When NBC instead gave the job to Jay Leno, Letterman departed NBC to host his own late-night show on CBS, opposite ''The Tonight Show'' at 11:30 p.m., called the ''Late Show with David Letterman''. The new show debuted on August 30, 1993 and was taped at the historic Ed Sullivan Theater, where Ed Sullivan taped his eponymous variety series from 1948 to 1971. For Letterman's arrival, CBS spent $8 million in renovations. In addition to that cost, CBS also signed Letterman to a lucrative three-year, $14 million/year contract, doubling his ''Late Night'' salary. The total cost for everything (renovations, negotiation right paid to NBC, signing Letterman, announcer Bill Wendell, Shaffer, the writers and the band) was over $140 million.

But while the expectation was that Letterman would retain his unique style and sense of humor with the move, ''Late Show'' was not an exact replica of his old NBC program. Recognizing the more formal mood (and wider audience) of his new time slot and studio, Letterman eschewed his trademark blazer with khaki pants and white sneakers wardrobe combination in favor of expensive shoes, tailored suits and light-colored socks. The monologue was lengthened and Paul Shaffer and the "World's Most Dangerous Band" followed Letterman to CBS, but they added a brass section and were rebranded the "CBS Orchestra" as a short monologue and a small band were mandated by Carson while Letterman occupied the 12:30 slot. Additionally, because of intellectual property disagreements, Letterman was unable to import many of his ''Late Night'' segments verbatim, but he sidestepped this problem by simply renaming them (the "Top Ten List" became the "Late Show Top Ten", "Viewer Mail" became the "CBS Mailbag", etc.)

Popularity

The main competitor of ''The Late Show'' is NBC's ''The Tonight Show'', which was hosted by Jay Leno for nearly 16 years, but from June 1, 2009, to January 22, 2010, was hosted by Conan O'Brien. In 1993 and 1994, ''The Late Show'' consistently gained higher ratings than ''Tonight''. But in 1995, ratings dipped and Leno's show consistently beat Letterman's in the ratings from the time that Hugh Grant came on Leno's show after Grant's arrest for soliciting a prostitute. ; Leno typically attracted about 5 million nightly viewers between 1999 and 2009. ''The Late Show'' lost nearly half its audience during its competition with Leno, attracting 7.1 million viewers nightly in its 1993–94 season and about 3.8 million per night as of Leno's departure in 2009. In the final months of his first stint as host of ''The Tonight Show'', Leno beat Letterman in the ratings by a 1.3 million viewer margin (5.2 million to 3.9 million), and ''Nightline'' and ''The Late Show'' were virtually tied. Once O'Brien took over ''Tonight'', however, Letterman closed the gap in the ratings. O'Brien initially drove the median age of ''Tonight Show'' viewers from 55 to 45, with most older viewers opting to watch ''The Late Show'' instead.

Following Leno's return to ''The Tonight Show'', however, Leno has regained his lead.

Letterman's shows have garnered both critical and industry praise, receiving 67 Emmy Award nominations, winning 12 times in his first 20 years in late night television. From 1993–2009, Letterman ranked higher than Leno in the annual Harris Poll of ''Nation's Favorite TV Personality'' 12 times. For example, in 2003 and 2004 Letterman ranked second in that poll, behind only Oprah Winfrey, a year that Leno was ranked fifth. Leno was higher than Letterman on that poll three times during the same period, in 1998, 2007, and 2008.

Hosting the Academy Awards

On March 27, 1995, Letterman acted as the host for the 67th Academy Awards ceremony. Critics blasted Letterman for what they deemed a poor hosting of the Oscars, noting that his irreverent style undermined the traditional importance and glamor of the event. In a joke about their unusual names (inspired by a similar joke by Woody Allen), he started off by introducing Uma Thurman to Oprah Winfrey, and then both of them to Keanu Reeves: "Oprah...Uma. Uma...Oprah," "Have you kids met Keanu?" This and many of his other jokes fell flat. Although Letterman attracted the highest ratings to the annual telecast since 1983, many felt that the bad publicity garnered by Letterman's hosting caused a decline in the ''Late Show'''s ratings.

Letterman recycled the apparent debacle into a long-running gag. On his first show after the Oscars, he joked, "Looking back, I had no idea that thing was being televised." He lampooned his stint two years later, during Billy Crystal's opening Oscar skit, which also parodied the plane-crashing scenes from that year's chief nominated film, ''The English Patient''.

For years afterward, Letterman recounted his hosting the Oscars, although the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences continued to hold Letterman in high regard and they had invited him to host the Oscars again. On September 7, 2010, he made an appearance on the premiere of the 14th season of ''The View'', and confirmed that he had been considered for hosting again.

Heart surgery hiatus

On January 14, 2000, a routine check-up revealed that an artery in Letterman's heart was severely obstructed. He was rushed to emergency surgery for a quintuple bypass.

During the initial weeks of his recovery, reruns of the ''Late Show'' were shown and introduced by friends of Letterman including Drew Barrymore, including Dr. O. Wayne Isom and physician Louis Aronne, who frequently appears on the show. In a show of emotion, Letterman was nearly in tears as he thanked the health care team with the words "These are the people who saved my life!" The episode earned an Emmy nomination. For a number of episodes, Letterman continued to crack jokes about his bypass, including saying, "Bypass surgery: it's when doctors surgically create new blood flow to your heart. A bypass is what happened to me when I didn't get ''The Tonight Show!'' It's a whole different thing." In a later running gag he lobbied his home state of Indiana to rename the freeway circling Indianapolis (I-465) "The David Letterman Bypass." He also featured a montage of faux news coverage of his bypass surgery, which included a clip of Dave's heart for sale on the Home Shopping Network. Letterman became friends with his doctors and nurses. In 2008, a ''Rolling Stone'' interview stated "he hosted a doctor and nurse who'd helped perform the emergency quintuple-bypass heart surgery that saved his life in 2000. 'These are people who were complete strangers when they opened my chest,' he says. 'And now, eight years later, they're among my best friends.' "

Additionally, Letterman invited the band Foo Fighters to play "Everlong", introducing them as "my favorite band, playing my favorite song." During a later Foo Fighters appearance, Letterman said that Foo Fighters had been in the middle of a South American tour which they canceled to come play on his comeback episode.

Letterman again handed over the reins of the show to several guest hosts (including Bill Cosby, Brad Garrett, Elvis Costello, John McEnroe, Vince Vaughn, Will Ferrell, Bonnie Hunt, Luke Wilson and bandleader Paul Shaffer) in February 2003, when he was diagnosed with a severe case of shingles. Later that year, Letterman made regular use of guest hosts—including Tom Arnold and Kelsey Grammer—for new shows broadcast on Fridays. In March 2007, Adam Sandler—who had been scheduled to be the lead guest—served as a guest host while Letterman was ill with a stomach virus.

Re-signing with CBS

In March 2002, as Letterman's contract with CBS neared expiration, ABC offered him the time slot for long-running news program ''Nightline'' with Ted Koppel. Letterman was interested as he believed he could never match Leno's ratings at CBS due to Letterman's complaint of weaker lead-ins from the network's late local news programs, but was reluctant to replace Koppel. Letterman addressed his decision to re-sign on the air, stating that he was content at CBS and that he had great respect for Koppel.

On December 4, 2006, CBS revealed that Letterman signed a new contract to host ''The Late Show with David Letterman'' through the fall of 2010. "I'm thrilled to be continuing on at CBS," said Letterman. "At my age you really don't want to have to learn a new commute." Letterman further joked about the subject by pulling up his right pants leg, revealing a tattoo, presumably temporary, of the ABC logo.

"Thirteen years ago, David Letterman put CBS late night on the map and in the process became one of the defining icons of our network," said Leslie Moonves, president and CEO of CBS Corporation. "His presence on our air is an ongoing source of pride, and the creativity and imagination that the ''Late Show'' puts forth every night is an ongoing display of the highest quality entertainment. We are truly honored that one of the most revered and talented entertainers of our time will continue to call CBS 'home.'"

According to a 2007 article in ''Forbes'' magazine, Letterman earned $40 million a year. A 2009 article in ''The New York Times'', however, said his salary was estimated at $32 million per year. In June 2009, Letterman's Worldwide Pants and CBS reached agreement to continue the ''Late Show'' until at least August 2012. The previous contract had been set to expire in 2010, and the two-year extension is shorter than the typical three-year contract period negotiated in the past. Worldwide Pants agreed to lower its fee for the show, though it had remained a "solid moneymaker for CBS" under the previous contract.

On the February 3, 2011, edition of the ''Late Show'', during an interview with Howard Stern, Letterman said he would continue to do his talk show for "maybe two years, I think."

2007–2008 writers' strike

The Late Show went off air for eight weeks during the months of November and December because of the Writers Guild of America strike. Letterman's production company—Worldwide Pants—was the first company to make an individual agreement with the WGA, thus allowing his show to come back on air on January 2, 2008. On his first episode since being off air, he surprised the viewing audience with his newly grown beard, which signified solidarity with the strike. His beard was shaved off during the show on January 7, 2008.

Letterman and Carson

In spite of Johnny Carson's clear intention to pass his title to Letterman, NBC selected Jay Leno to host ''The Tonight Show'' after Carson's departure. Letterman maintained a close relationship with Carson through his break with NBC. Three years after he left for CBS, HBO produced a made-for-television movie called ''The Late Shift'', based on a book by ''New York Times'' reporter Bill Carter, chronicling the battle between Letterman and Leno for the coveted ''Tonight Show'' hosting spot. Letterman would mock the film for months afterward, specifically on how the actor playing him, John Michael Higgins, did not resemble him in the least.

Carson later made a few cameo appearances as a guest on Letterman's show. Carson's final television appearance came May 13, 1994, on a ''Late Show'' episode taped in Los Angeles, when he made a surprise appearance during a 'Top 10 list' segment. The audience went wild as Letterman stood up and proudly invited Carson to sit at his desk. The applause was so protracted that Carson was unable to say anything, and he finally returned backstage as the applause continued (it was later explained that Carson had laryngitis, though Carson can be heard talking to Letterman during his appearance).

In early 2005, it was revealed that Carson still kept up with current events and late-night TV right up to his death that year, and that he occasionally sent jokes to Letterman, who used these jokes in his monologue; according to CBS senior vice president Peter Lassally (a onetime producer for both men), Carson got "a big kick out of it." Letterman would do a characteristic Johnny Carson golf swing after delivering one of Carson's jokes. In a tribute to Carson, all of the opening monologue jokes during the first show following Carson's death were written by Carson.

Lassally also claimed that Carson had always believed Letterman, not Leno, to be his "rightful successor." Letterman also frequently employs some of Carson's trademark bits on his show, including "Carnac the Magnificent" (with Paul Shaffer as Carnac), "Stump the Band" and the "Week in Review."

Letterman and Oprah Winfrey

On September 10, 2007, Letterman made his first appearance on ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'' at Madison Square Garden in New York City. He shared pictures of his son and live-in girlfriend. The so-called feud between Letterman and Winfrey apparently ended in 2005 when Winfrey appeared on CBS's ''Late Show with David Letterman'' on December 2, in an event Letterman jokingly referred to as "the Super Bowl of Love". Winfrey had previously appeared on Letterman's show when he was hosting NBC's ''Late Night'' on May 2, 1989.

Winfrey and Letterman also appeared together in a Late Show promo that aired during CBS's coverage of Super Bowl XLI in February 2007, with the two sitting next to each other on the couch watching the game. Since the game was played between the Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears, the Indianapolis-born Letterman wears a Peyton Manning jersey, while Winfrey—who tapes her show in Chicago—is in a Brian Urlacher jersey. Three years later, during CBS's coverage of Super Bowl XLIV, the two appeared again, this time with Winfrey sitting on a couch between Letterman and Jay Leno. The appearance was Letterman's idea: Leno flew to New York City in an NBC corporate jet, sneaking into the Ed Sullivan Theater during the ''Late Show'''s February 4 taping wearing a disguise, meeting Winfrey and Letterman at a living room set created in the theater's balcony where they taped their promo.

Response to Internet death threat

On August 17, 2011, it was reported that a Muslim militant had posted a death threat against Letterman on a website frequented by Al-Qaeda supporters, calling on American Muslims to kill Letterman for making a joke about the death of an Al-Qaeda leader killed in a drone strike in Pakistan in June 2011. In his show on August 22, Letterman joked about the threat, saying "State Department authorities are looking into this. They're not taking this lightly. They’re looking into it. They're questioning, they're interrogating, there's an electronic trail — but everybody knows it's Leno."

Appearances in other media

Letterman appeared in issue 239 of the Marvel comic book ''The Avengers'', in which the title characters are guests on ''Late Night''. A parody of Letterman, named "David Endochrine," is gassed to death along with his bandleader named "Paul" and their audience in Frank Miller's ''The Dark Knight Returns''.

Letterman appeared in the pilot episode of the short-lived 1986 series "Coach Toast", and he appears with a bag over his head as a guest on Bonnie Hunt's ca. 1993 sitcom ''The Building''. He also appears in The Simpsons, as himself in a couch gag when The Simpsons find themselves (and the couch) in "Late Night with David Letterman." He had a cameo in the feature film ''Cabin Boy'', with Chris Elliott, who worked as a writer on Letterman's show. In this and other appearances, Letterman is listed in the credits as "Earl Hofert", the name of Letterman's maternal grandfather. He also appeared as himself in the Howard Stern biopic Private Parts as well as the 1999 Andy Kaufman biopic ''Man on the Moon'', in a few episodes of Garry Shandling's 1990s TV series ''The Larry Sanders Show'' and in "The Abstinence", a 1996 episode of the sitcom ''Seinfeld''. Letterman also made an uncredited appearance in the first episode of the third season of the sitcom The Nanny.

Letterman provided vocals for the Warren Zevon song "Hit Somebody" from ''My Ride's Here'', and provided the voice for Butt-head's father in the 1996 animated film ''Beavis and Butt-head Do America''.

In 2010, a documentary ''Dying to Do Letterman'' was released directed by Joke Fincioen and Biagio Messina featuring Steve Mazan, a stand up comic, who has cancer and wants to appear on the Letterman Show. The film won Best Documentary and Jury Awards at the Cinequest Film Festival. Steve Mazan published a same-titled book (full title, ''Dying to Do Letterman: Turning Someday into Today'' about his own saga.

Other projects

Worldwide Pants

Letterman started his own production company—Worldwide Pants Incorporated—which produced his show and several others, including ''Everybody Loves Raymond'', ''The Late Late Show'', and several critically acclaimed, but short-lived television series for Bonnie Hunt. Worldwide Pants also produced the dramedy program ''Ed'', which aired on NBC from 2000–2004. It was Letterman's first association with NBC since he left the network in 1993. During ''Ed's'' run, the star, Tom Cavanagh, appeared as a guest on ''The Late Show'' several times.

In 2005, Worldwide Pants produced its first feature film, ''Strangers with Candy'', which was a prequel to the Comedy Central TV series of the same title. In 2007, Worldwide Pants produced the ABC comedy series, ''Knights of Prosperity''.

Worldwide Pants made significant news in December 2007 when it was announced that Letterman's company had independently negotiated its own contract with the Writers Guild of America, East, thus allowing Letterman, Craig Ferguson, and their writers to return to work, while the union continued its strike against production companies, networks and studios who had not reached an agreement.

Record company

In late April 2010, several music industry websites reported that Letterman started a record label named Clear Entertainment/C.E. Music and signed his first artist, Runner Runner. Lucy Walsh announced on her MySpace page that she has been signed by Letterman and Clear Entertainment/C.E. Music and is working on her album.

Rahal Letterman Racing

Rahal Letterman Racing (RLR) is an auto racing team that currently races in the American Le Mans Series, and part-time in the Indy Racing League. It is co-owned by 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal and Letterman himself, and is based in Hilliard, Ohio. The team won the 2004 Indianapolis 500 with driver Buddy Rice. Letterman was a pit reporter for ABC in the 1971 Indianapolis 500.

American Foundation for Courtesy and Grooming

American Foundation for Courtesy and Grooming is Letterman's private foundation. Through it, Letterman has donated millions of dollars to charities and other non-profits in Indiana and Montana, celebrity-affiliated organizations such as Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, universities such as Ball State, and other organizations such as the American Cancer Society, Salvation Army, and Doctors Without Borders.

Personal life

Marriages and long-term relationships

In 1969, Letterman married Michelle Cook; the marriage ended by divorce in 1977. He also had a long-term relationship with former head writer and producer on ''Late Night'', Merrill Markoe. Markoe was the mind behind several ''Late Night'' staples, such as "Stupid Pet/Human Tricks".

Letterman has a son, Harry Joseph Letterman (born on November 3, 2003), with Regina Lasko. Harry is named after Letterman's father. In 2005, police discovered a plot to kidnap Harry Letterman and ransom him for $5 million. Kelly Frank, a house painter who had worked for Letterman, was charged in the conspiracy.

Letterman and Lasko, who had been together since 1986, wed on March 19, 2009, during a quiet courthouse civil ceremony in Choteau, Montana, where he purchased a ranch in 1999. Letterman announced the marriage during the taping of his March 23 show, shortly after congratulating Bruce Willis for getting married the previous week. Letterman told the audience he nearly missed the ceremony because his truck became stuck in mud two miles from their house. The family resides in North Salem, New York, on a estate.

Stalking incident

Beginning in May 1988, Letterman was stalked by Margaret Mary Ray, a woman suffering from schizophrenia. She once stole his Porsche, repeatedly broke into his house, and camped out on his tennis court. Her exploits drew national attention, and Letterman occasionally joked about her behavior in his show, although never mentioning her name. After she committed suicide in 1998, Letterman told the ''New York Times'' that he had had great compassion for her, and publicly expressed sympathy.

Extortion attempt and revelation of affairs

On his October 1, 2009, show, Letterman announced that he had been the victim of an extortion attempt by someone threatening to reveal that he had had sex with several of his female employees, confirming the relationships. He stated that three weeks earlier (on September 9, 2009) someone had left a package in his car with material he said he would write into a screenplay and a book if Letterman did not pay him $2 million. Letterman said that he contacted the Manhattan District Attorney's office, ultimately cooperating with them to conduct a sting operation involving giving the man a phony check. Subsequently, Robert J. "Joe" Halderman, a producer of the CBS true crime journalism series ''48 Hours'', was arrested after trying to deposit the check. He was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury and pleaded not guilty to a charge of attempted grand larceny on October 2, 2009. Eventually, on March 9, 2010, he pleaded guilty to this same felony and served a 6-month jail sentence, followed by probation and community service.

A central figure in the case and one of the women Letterman had had a sexual relationship with was his longtime personal assistant Stephanie Birkitt who often appeared with him in his show. She had also worked for ''48 Hours''. Until a month prior to the revelations she had shared a residence with Halderman, who allegedly had copied her personal diary and used it, along with private emails, in the blackmail package.

On October 3, 2009, a former CBS employee, Holly Hester, announced that she and Letterman had engaged in a year-long "secret" affair in the early 1990s while she was his intern and a student at New York University.

In the days following the initial announcement of the affairs and the arrest, several prominent women, including Kathie Lee Gifford, co-host of NBC's ''Today Show'', and NBC news anchor Ann Curry questioned whether Letterman's affairs with subordinates created an unfair working environment. A spokesman for Worldwide Pants said that the company's sexual harassment policy did not prohibit sexual relationships between managers and employees. According to business news reporter Eve Tahmincioglu, "CBS suppliers are supposed to follow the company's business conduct policies" and the CBS 2008 Business Conduct Statement states that "If a consenting romantic or sexual relationship between a supervisor and a direct or indirect subordinate should develop, CBS requires the supervisor to disclose this information to his or her Company's Human Resources Department..."

On October 5, 2009, Letterman devoted a segment of his show to a public apology to his wife and staff. Three days later, Worldwide Pants announced that Birkitt had been placed on a "paid leave of absence" from the ''Late Show''. On October 15, CBS News announced that the company's Chief Investigative Correspondent, Armen Keteyian, had been assigned to conduct an "in-depth investigation" into Halderman's blackmail of Letterman.

Awards and honors

Awards

In his capacities as either a writer, producer, performer, or as part of a writing team, Letterman is among the most nominated people in Emmy Award history with 52 nominations, winning two Daytime Emmys and five Primetime Emmys since 1981. His nomination record is second only to producer Jac Venza, who holds the record for the most Emmy nominations for an individual (57). Letterman has been nominated every year since 1984, when he first appeared on late night television as the host of ''Late Night with David Letterman.'' Additionally, he has won four American Comedy Awards. Letterman was the first recipient of the Johnny Carson Award for Comedic Excellence at The Comedy Awards in 2011.

David Letterman Communication and Media Building

On September 7, 2007, Letterman visited his alma mater, Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, for the dedication of a communications facility named in his honor for his dedication to the university throughout his career as a comedian. The $21 million, David Letterman Communication and Media Building opened for the 2007 fall semester. It features state-of-the-art recording equipment and facilities. Thousands of Ball State students, faculty, and local residents welcomed Letterman back to Indiana. Letterman's emotional speech touched on his struggles as a college student and his late father, and also included the "top ten good things about having your name on a building", finishing with, "if reasonable people can put my name on a $21 million building, anything is possible."

At the same time, Letterman also received a Sagamore of the Wabash award given by Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, which recognizes distinguished service to the state of Indiana.

References

External links

David Letterman's Feb. 24, 1978 appearance on ''90 Minutes Live''

Official ''Late Show'' biography

1999 article on Letterman from Salon.com

Tape of Letterman announcing affairs/extortion attempt on Late Show

Category:1947 births Category:Living people Category:American entertainment industry businesspeople Category:American television talk show hosts Category:Ball State University alumni Category:Daytime Emmy Award winners Category:Emmy Award winners Category:Indianapolis, Indiana television anchors Category:IndyCar Series team owners Category:People from Indianapolis, Indiana Category:Weather presenters

ar:ديفيد ليترمان bg:Дейвид Летърман cs:David Letterman da:David Letterman de:David Letterman et:David Letterman es:David Letterman fa:دیوید لترمن fr:David Letterman gl:David Letterman ko:데이비드 레터맨 id:David Letterman it:David Letterman he:דייוויד לטרמן hu:David Letterman ms:David Letterman nl:David Letterman ja:デイヴィッド・レターマン no:David Letterman nn:David Letterman pl:David Letterman pt:David Letterman ru:Леттерман, Дэвид simple:David Letterman fi:David Letterman sv:David Letterman th:เดวิด เลตเทอร์แมน tr:David Letterman yi:דעיוויד לעטערמאן zh:大卫·莱特曼

birth name	Zooey Claire Deschanel
birth date	January 17, 1980
birth place	Los Angeles, California
occupation	Actress, model, singer-songwriter, musician
years active	1998–present
spouse	Ben Gibbard (2009–present)
relatives	Caleb Deschanel (father)Mary Jo Deschanel (mother)Emily Deschanel (sister) }}

Zooey Claire Deschanel (born January 17, 1980) is an American actress, musician, and singer-songwriter. In 1999, Deschanel made her film debut in ''Mumford'', followed by her breakout role as young protagonist William Miller's troubled older sister Anita in Cameron Crowe's 2000 semi-autobiographical film ''Almost Famous''. Deschanel soon became known for her deadpan or "Manic Pixie Dream Girl" supporting roles in films such as ''Elf'' (2003), ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' (2005) ''Failure to Launch'' (2006), and ''Bridge to Terabithia'' (2007). She then began playing lead roles in films, including ''Yes Man'' (2008) and ''(500) Days of Summer'' (2009). She will next headline the new Fox series ''New Girl'' in fall 2011.

For a few years starting in 2001, Deschanel performed in the jazz cabaret act ''If All the Stars Were Pretty Babies'' with fellow actress Samantha Shelton. She plays keyboards, percussion, banjo and ukulele, and has sung in several of her films. Deschanel teamed up with M. Ward to release their debut album ''Volume One'' (recorded with M. Ward under the moniker She & Him) which was released in March 2008. The follow-up album ''Volume Two'' was released in the U.S. in March 2010. She is married to Death Cab for Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard.

Early life

Born in Los Angeles in 1980, Zooey Deschanel is the daughter of cinematographer/director Caleb Deschanel and actress Mary Jo Deschanel (née Weir). She is of French (from her paternal grandfather) and Irish descent. She was named after Zooey Glass, the male protagonist of J. D. Salinger's 1961 novella ''Franny and Zooey''. Her older sister, Emily Deschanel, is also an actress and stars in the TV series ''Bones''.

Deschanel lived in Los Angeles, but spent much of her childhood traveling because her father shot films on location; she later said that she "hated all the traveling ... I'm really happy now that I had the experience, but at the time I was just so miserable to have to leave my friends in Los Angeles and go to places where they didn't have any food I liked or things I was used to." She attended Crossroads, a private preparatory school in Santa Monica, California, where she befriended future co-stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Kate Hudson. She sang throughout high school, planning to pursue a career in musical theatre. She attended Northwestern University for seven months before dropping out to work as an actress.

Career

Acting

Deschanel appeared in a guest role on the television series ''Veronica's Closet'' before making her film debut in Lawrence Kasdan's 1999 comedy ''Mumford'', and later in the year she appeared (non-singing) in the music video for The Offspring's single "She's Got Issues". In her second film, director Cameron Crowe's semi-autobiographical ''Almost Famous'' (2000), Deschanel played Anita Miller, the protagonist's rebellious older sister. The film received critical praise, but was not a box office success. She also appeared in Jimmy Fallon's "Idiot Boyfriend" music video as his lead girl.

Deschanel played supporting roles in a series of films that include ''Manic'' (2001), with Don Cheadle and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, ''Big Trouble'' (2002), with Tim Allen and Rene Russo, ''Abandon'' (2002) alongside Katie Holmes, Benjamin Bratt and Melanie Lynskey, and ''The Good Girl'' (2002) alongside Jennifer Aniston and Jake Gyllenhaal. In late 2002, ''The New York Times'' reported that Deschanel was "one of Hollywood's most sought-after young stars," and the ''Los Angeles Times'' wrote in early 2003 that Deschanel had become a recognizable type, due to "her deadpan, sardonic and scene-stealing [film] performances" as the protagonist's best friend. Deschanel objected to her typecasting, arguing, "A lot of these roles are just a formula idea of somebody's best friend, and it's like, I don't even have that many friends. In high school, I stayed home all the time, so I don't know how I'm everybody's best friend now."

Deschanel appeared in ''Frasier'', starring as Roz's out-of-control cousin, Jen, in the season 10 episode 'Kissing Cousin' in 2002. That year, she also appeared in the film ''The New Guy'' as Nora, the guitar player in the lead character's band, Suburban Funk.

After turning down several supporting roles, Deschanel played her first lead role in ''All the Real Girls'' (2003). Her performance as Noel, a sexually curious 18-year-old virgin who has a life-changing romance with an aimless 22-year-old, received critical praise, and she received an Independent Spirit nomination for Best Actress. Later in 2003, Deschanel played a deadpan department store worker opposite Will Ferrell in the comedy ''Elf'', which became a box office hit.

In 2004, Deschanel starred in ''Eulogy'', and in 2005 as Trillian in the film adaptation of Douglas Adams' science fiction novel ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy''. Also in 2005, she played the main character, Reese Holden in the film ''Winter Passing'' with supporting role from Will Ferrell. Deschanel then played Sarah Jessica Parker's neurotic roommate in ''Failure to Launch'' (2006), and appeared on four episodes of the Showtime television series ''Weeds'' from 2006 to 2007, playing Andy Botwin's quirky ex-girlfriend, Kat. In September 2006, ''Variety'' announced that Deschanel would play 1960s singer Janis Joplin in the film ''The Gospel According to Janis'', to be co-written and directed by Penelope Spheeris. Deschanel planned to sing all of Joplin's songs, and took four months of singing lessons "to approximate Joplin's gritty vocals." The film, scheduled to begin shooting on November 13, 2006, was postponed indefinitely. However, the project is now back on track and will be released in 2012.

In 2007, Deschanel appeared in two children's films: ''Bridge to Terabithia'', in which she played Jesse's quirky music teacher, and the animated film ''Surf's Up'', in which she voiced a penguin named Lani Aliikai. She played DG, the lead in the Sci Fi Channel miniseries ''Tin Man'', a re-imagined science fiction version of L. Frank Baum's children's book ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz''. ''Tin Man'' aired on Sci Fi in December 2007. Deschanel also narrated the children's book ''Players in Pigtails''.

On April 27, 2008, she performed on ''The Simpsons'', playing the role of Mary, Cletus's daughter, and in June that year, she starred opposite Mark Wahlberg in M. Night Shyamalan's poorly received environmental thriller ''The Happening.''

In 2008, Deschanel starred in ''Gigantic'', and later that year in the comedy film ''Yes Man'', opposite Jim Carrey.

Deschanel was next seen as the title character in the 2009 award winning romantic-drama-comedy ''(500) Days of Summer'', opposite Joseph Gordon-Levitt (for a second time after ''Manic''). The film, about the development and demise of a relationship, received widespread praise and was directed by long-time commercial and music video director Marc Webb. The film received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical), but was ultimately defeated by ''The Hangover''.

Deschanel guest starred in a Christmas 2009 episode of ''Bones'' as Brennan's never-before-seen cousin. In the first-ever on-screen pairing of the Deschanel sisters, Zooey portrayed Margaret Whitesell, a distant relative of Emily's Dr. Temperance Brennan. Brennan's father, Max Keenan (guest star Ryan O'Neal), invites Margaret to spend Christmas with him and his daughter.

In 2010, Deschanel secured the role of Belladonna in the fantasy comedy film ''Your Highness'' alongside Natalie Portman and James Franco. Deschanel will star in the pilot for the HBO series ''I'm with the Band: Confessions of a Groupie'', in which she plays the role of Pamela Des Barres, who wrote a memoir based on her own experience as a former groupie. She is also set to appear in the new Fox series ''New Girl'', created by Elizabeth Meriwether.

Film-related music

''The New Guy'' (2002) was the first of Deschanel's films in which she sang onscreen. In ''Elf'', she sings with Will Ferrell in the bathroom shower scene on "Baby, It's Cold Outside", and was also heard singing it on the soundtrack with Leon Redbone. Her piano composition "Bittersuite" was used thematically in the dark, off-beat 2004 dramedy ''Winter Passing'', in which she starred alongside Will Ferrell and Ed Harris. Subsequently, Deschanel also sings in ''Winter Passing'' ("My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean").

Others include: the television musical ''Once Upon a Mattress'' ("An Opening For a Princess", "In a Little While", "Normandy", and "Yesterday I Loved You"); an old cabaret song in ''The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford''; and the 2007 short film ''Raving'' ("Hello, Dolly!").

Deschanel and the cast of school children sing the Steve Earle song "Someday" and War's "Why Can't We Be Friends?" in the 2007 film ''Bridge to Terabithia''.

In the film ''Yes Man'', Deschanel sings several songs featured in the film and on the film soundtrack, and is shown singing "Uh-Huh" and "Sweet Ballad" alongside San Franciscan all-girl electro soul-punk group Von Iva in a fictional band called "Munchausen by Proxy."

In ''(500) Days of Summer'' Deschanel sings a cover of Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want by The Smiths—it also appears on the soundtrack of the film, as performed by She and Him. She also sing a cover of Sugar Town by Nancy Sinatra. ''(500) Days of Summer'' director Marc Webb also directed Deschanel and Gordon-Levitt in a music video, ''Bank Dance'', with the She & Him song Why Do You Let Me Stay Here.

Deschanel sings "The Greatest Most Beautiful Love Song in All the Land" with James Franco in the film ''Your Highness''. She also appears in a number of songs (with M. Ward) on the soundtrack album for the 2011 release of Disney's ''Winnie the Pooh''. Deschanel will also write and sing the theme song to her upcoming TV series New Girl.

Non-film music

In 2001 Deschanel formed If All the Stars Were Pretty Babies, a jazz cabaret act with fellow actress Samantha Shelton. The pair performed around Los Angeles.

In March 2007, Deschanel contributed vocals to two songs "Slowly" and "Ask Her to Dance" on the album ''Nighttiming'' by Jason Schwartzman's band Coconut Records. In May 2007, singer/songwriter M. Ward, who had previously performed with Deschanel onstage, said that he was "just finishing work" on her debut album, which will feature songs written by Deschanel and produced by Ward. ''Fox'' reported that Deschanel and Ward were recording under the moniker She & Him, and that the album, titled ''Volume One'', would be released by Merge Records on March 18, 2008.

An article on Pitchfork Media in December 2009 confirmed a March 23, 2010, release date for the second She & Him album, ''Volume Two''. In spring of 2010, She & Him went on tour in the USA and Europe in support of ''Volume Two'', .

Deschanel and M. Ward both featured on ''The Place We Ran From'', the 2010 album by Snow Patrol member Gary Lightbody's side project, Tired Pony. Deschanel contributed vocals to the tracks "Get On the Road" and "Point Me at Lost Islands", while M. Ward contributed vocals and guitar to the track "Held in the Arms of Your Words" and guitar to the track "That Silver Necklace".

Deschanel also recorded "The Fabric of My Life" for a 2009 advertising campaign for Cotton Incorporated.

Deschanel also performed "God Bless America" during the seventh inning stretch during game three of the National League Championship Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants on October 19, 2010 at AT&T; Park in San Francisco, California.

Deschanel contributed a cover of Buddy Holly's "It's So Easy" for the upcoming tribute album, ''Listen to Me: Buddy Holly'' to be released on September 6, 2011.

Other work

Deschanel was a judge for the ninth Independent Music Awards.

She has signed on to represent Rimmel.

In May 2011, she launched HelloGiggles an entertainment website geared towards women with producer Sophia Rossi and writer Molly McAleer.

Personal life

Deschanel—who is allergic to eggs, dairy, and wheat gluten—formerly adhered to a vegan diet and was featured on episode eight of the first season of Bravo's ''Top Chef Masters'' in which the chefs participating in the competition were challenged to cater a vegan lunch party for her family and friends using no eggs, dairy, soy, or gluten. However, according to a recent interview with ''Health'' magazine, she had to come off the diet because her food sensitivities made it too difficult for her to stay healthy as a vegan. She also stated that she has attention deficit disorder. In September 2009, Deschanel married fellow musician Ben Gibbard, lead vocalist for The Postal Service and Death Cab for Cutie.

Filmography

! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1998	''Veronica's Closet''	Elena	Episode: "Veronica's Fun and Pirates Are Crazy"
1999		Nessa Watkins
2000	''Almost Famous''	Anita Miller
2001		Tracy
2002	''''	Cheryl
2002		Samantha Harper
2002		Jenny Herk
2002	''''	Nora
2002	''Sweet Friggin' Daisies''	Zelda	Short film
2002	''Frasier''	Jen
2003	''Whatever We Do''	Nikki	Short film
2003	''All the Real Girls''	Noel
2003	''It's Better to Be Wanted for Murder Than Not to Be Wanted at All''	Gas Station Girl
2003	''House Hunting''	Christy	Short film
2003		Jovie
2004	''Cracking Up''	Heidi	Episode: "Birds Do It"
2004		Kate Collins
2005	''''
2005	''American Dad!''	Candy Striper Stripper / French Maid (voice)	Episode: "Stan Knows Best"
2005	''Winter Passing''	Reese Holden
2005	''Once Upon a Mattress''	Lady Larken	TV movie
2006	''Failure to Launch''	Kit
2006		Cheryl
2006–2007		Kat	4 episodes
2007	''''	Frances
2007	''''	Kate
2007		Ms. Edmunds
2007		Miss Pussy Katz
2007		Katie	Short film
2007		Lani Aliikai (voice)
2007	''''	Dorothy Evans
2007		DG	TV miniseries
2008		Happy Lolly
2008	''''	Mary (voice)	Episode: "Apocalypse Cow"
2008	''''	Alma Moore
2008		Allison
2009	''(500) Days of Summer''	Summer Finn	Nominated – Satellite Award
2009		Margaret Whitesell
2010	''Funny or Die Presents''	Mary Todd Lincoln	''Drunk History'' sketch; "Drunk History Vol. 5 w/ Will Ferrell, Don Cheadle & Zooey Deschanel"
2010	''Havin' a Summah''		Video short
2011	''Our Idiot Brother''	Natalie	Completed
2011	''Your Highness''	Belladonna
2011	''New Girl''	Jessica Day	Fall TV series

Discography

Solo & duets

"Baby, It's Cold Outside" with Leon Redbone – ''Elf'' soundtrack

"Sugar Town" – ''(500) Days of Summer'' soundtrack

five tracks on the soundtrack album to the 2011 release of Disney's ''Winnie the Pooh''

"The Greatest Most Beautiful Love Song in All the Land" with James Franco – ''Your Highness'' soundtrack

Munchausen By Proxy

:''Munchausen By Proxy is a fictional band that appears in the film'' Yes Man.

"Sweet Ballad" featuring Zooey Deschanel & Von Iva – ''Yes Man'' soundtrack

"Uh-Huh" featuring Zooey Deschanel & Von Iva – ''Yes Man'' soundtrack

"Keystar" featuring Zooey Deschanel & Von Iva – ''Yes Man'' soundtrack

"Yes Man" featuring Zooey Deschanel & Von Iva – ''Yes Man'' soundtrack

She & Him

Studio albums ''Volume One'' (March 18, 2008) No.71 US

''Volume Two'' (March 23, 2010) No.6 US

Singles

"Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?" (January, 2008)

"Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" (December, 2009)

"In the Sun" (February, 2010)

"Thieves" (June, 2010)

Soundtrack

"I Put A Spell On You" (January 30, 2009) Starbucks' ''Sweetheart'' CD

"When I Get To The Border" (2007) on ''The Go-Getter'' soundtrack

"Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" (2009) on ''(500) Days of Summer'' soundtrack

Tired Pony

"Get on the Road" ''The Place We Ran From''

"Point Me at Lost Islands" ''The Place We Ran From''

References

External links

Category:1980 births Category:Living people Category:Actors from Los Angeles, California Category:American people of French descent Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American keyboardists Category:American musicians of French descent Category:American musicians of Irish descent Category:American singer-songwriters Category:American television actors Category:Models from California Category:Musicians from Los Angeles, California Category:People from the Greater Los Angeles Area Category:Singers from California Category:American pop singer-songwriters

cs:Zooey Deschanelová da:Zooey Deschanel de:Zooey Deschanel es:Zooey Deschanel fa:زویی دشانل fr:Zooey Deschanel gv:Zooey Deschanel ko:조이 데이셔넬 id:Zooey Deschanel it:Zooey Deschanel he:זואי דשנל hu:Zooey Deschanel nl:Zooey Deschanel ja:ズーイー・デシャネル no:Zooey Deschanel pl:Zooey Deschanel pt:Zooey Deschanel ro:Zooey Deschanel ru:Дешанель, Зоуи sq:Zooey Deschanel sh:Zooey Deschanel fi:Zooey Deschanel sv:Zooey Deschanel th:ซูอี้ เดสชาแนล tr:Zooey Deschanel uk:Зоуї Дешанель zh:柔伊·黛絲香奈

Name	Josh Kelley
Background	solo_singer
Birth date	January 30, 1980
Origin	Augusta, Georgia, U.S.
Instrument	Vocals, guitar, keyboards
Genre	Pop rock, blues rock, country
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, musician
Years active	2001–present
Label	DNK Records, Hollywood Records, Threshold, MCA Nashville
Associated acts	Lady Antebellum
Website	JoshKelley.com }}

Joshua Bishop "Josh" Kelley (born January 30, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter and actor. Kelley has recorded for Hollywood Records, Threshold Records and DNK Records as a pop rock artist, and has had four hit singles on the Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks chart. His songs "Amazing" and "Only You" made top ten on that chart.

In 2010, Kelley signed to MCA Nashville and began a country music career. His debut single on the format, "Georgia Clay", has become a Top 20 hit on the Hot Country Songs charts. Kelley is the brother of Lady Antebellum member Charles Kelley. Kelley is married to actress Katherine Heigl.

Early life

Kelley was born in Augusta, Georgia, the son of Gayle and Dr. John W. Kelley, a cardiologist. Kelley began his musical career at the age of 11. His younger brother, Charles Kelley, is also a musician and singer in the country trio Lady Antebellum. Kelley started at 11 with his guitar. While he was a teenager, he and his brother Charles formed a band called Inside Blue. By the time he was 14, the band released a CD with five songs in it, which led to a meeting with James Brown.

Kelley attended the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi, and is a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity.

Music career

Kelley released his independent album, ''Changing Faces'', in 2001 and signed with Hollywood Records in 2002. Working with John Alagia as his producer, Kelley released the album, ''For the Ride Home'', on June 3, 2003. The album featured his hit song "Amazing," which most people know him by. He also made an appearance at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in 2003.

Even though Kelley has stated that the lyrics from his song "Angeles" were fabricated, he moved to Los Angeles from Georgia and recorded the majority of his second album, ''Almost Honest'', in the studio of his home. ''Almost Honest'' was released on August 23, 2005, and featured the hit single, "Only You."

After asking to be released from his contract with Hollywood Records, Kelley released his third album, ''Just Say The Word'' under his own label named Threshold. The digital version of the album was released through iTunes on June 6, 2006, while the physical album was released in stores in the United States on July 25, 2006. "The Pop Game" was the first single from his self-produced album and was accompanied by a cartoon video.

Kelley's next album, ''Special Company'', was released in the United States on January 14, 2008. His label, Threshold, was renamed DNK Records so as to avoid confusion with another record label by the same name. Kelley also released a digital album that summer titled ''Backwoods'' on July 7. Later that year, Kelley released his latest album, ''To Remember'', on September 23 exclusively through Target stores. The title track was also included on the AT&T; Team USA Soundtrack.

Kelley has toured with many artists including Rod Stewart, Third Eye Blind, Toby Lightman, Counting Crows, and Ryan Cabrera.

Kelley remains a supporter of file sharing applications for independent artists who have a difficult time receiving an audience. In fact, Kelley was "found" after targeting Eric Clinger at Hollywood Records with private spam, "If you like James Taylor, Try Josh Kelley," messages using the Napster program.

In November 2009, Kelley signed with MCA Nashville and began recording his first country album in 2010. The album's first single, "Georgia Clay", was released to country radio in August 2010. The single has become a Top 20 hit on the Hot Country Songs chart. The album, also titled ''Georgia Clay'', was released in March 2011.

Personal life

Kelley majored in Art at the University of Mississippi and was a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity. He is an avid golfer and attended college on a golf scholarship.

Kelley is married to TV and major motion picture actress Katherine Heigl, who is also the basis of the song he wrote for her, "Hey Katie" The Heigl-Kelley wedding took place at the Stein Eriksen Lodge in Park City, Utah. Heigl's ''Grey's Anatomy'' co-stars T.R. Knight, Sandra Oh, Ellen Pompeo and Justin Chambers attended the ceremony, as well as ''Grey's Anatomy'' spinoff series ''Private Practice'' star Kate Walsh. The ceremony was officiated by Unitarian minister Tom Goldsmith. Heigl walked down the aisle to an acoustic song written by Kelley and performed by a cello and guitar players. According to a source, the bride and groom wrote their own vows. The bridesmaids wore red. The two met in 2005 when Heigl appeared in a video for Kelley's song "Only You."

Kelley and Heigl adopted a 10 month old girl from South Korea. Kelley and Heigl's daughter is named Nancy Leigh, after Heigl's mother and sister (Nancy and Margaret Leigh, respectively), although they have nicknamed her Naleigh.

Discography

Albums

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions
		! width="45"	! width="45"	! width="45"	! width="45"
''For the Ride Home''		* Release date: June 3, 2003	Hollywood Records>Hollywood	159	5	—	—
''Almost Honest''		* Release date: August 23, 2005	* Label: Hollywood	114	1	—	—
''Just Say the Word''		* Release date: June 6, 2006	Threshold Records>Threshold	—	—	—	—
''Special Company''		* Release date: February 5, 2008	* Label: DNK	—	7	27	—
''Backwoods''		* Release date: August 20, 2008	* Label: DNK	—	19	—	—
''To Remember''		* Release date: September 29, 2008	* Label: DNK	—	11	—	—
''Georgia Clay''		* Release date: March 22, 2011	Universal Music Group Nashville>MCA Nashville	92	—	—	16

Extended plays

Title	Album details
''Josh Kelley Live Session EP''		* Release date: August 2, 2005	* Label: Hollywood Records
''Georgia Clay''		* Release date: November 30, 2010	* Label: MCA Nashville

Singles

Year	Single	Peak chart positions				Album
		! width="40"	! width="40"	! width="40"	! width="40"
2003	! scope="row"	79	—	8	—
2004	"Everybody Wants You"	—	—	24	—
	! scope="row"	—	—	9	—
"Almost Honest"	—	—	29	—
	"Get with It"	—	—	—	—
"Pop Game"	—	—	—	—
"Just Say the Word"	—	—	—	—
2008	"Unfair"	—	—	—	—
2009	"To Remember"	—	27	—	—
2010	"Georgia Clay"	87	—	—	17
2011	! scope="row"				53

Other contributions

!Year	!Song	!Album
"Everybody Wants You"	''The Prince & Me'' (soundtrack)
"Amazing"	''Raising Helen'' (soundtrack)
	"You Are the Woman"
"Crazy Little Thing Called Love"	''Killer Queen: A Tribute to Queen''
	"Lover Come Up"	''My Super Ex-Girlfriend'' (soundtrack)
"Sunset Lover"
"Feels Like Home"	rowspan=2
"Welcome to This Day (Reprise)"
"You're a Part of Everything"	''Candles on Bay Street'' (soundtrack)
	"Unfair"	''27 Dresses'' (soundtrack)
"You're a Part of Everything"
2009	"Under the Covers"

Music videos

! Year	! Video	! Director
2004	"Everybody Wants You"	Elliott Lester
2005	"Only You"	Marcus Raboy
2010	"Georgia Clay"	Wes Edwards
2011	"Gone Like That"

References

External links

Official website

The Official Josh Kelley Street Team

Official Josh Kelley Store

Aug. 2006 New York TV interview

Josh Kelley collection at the Internet Archive's live music archive

"The Prince & Me" movie

/ Billboard Song Chart History

Category:1980 births Category:Living people Category:American country singers Category:American rock singer-songwriters Category:Hollywood Records artists Category:Musicians from Georgia (U.S. state) Category:People from Augusta, Georgia Category:University of Mississippi alumni Category:MCA Records artists

cs:Josh Kelley de:Josh Kelley es:Josh Kelley fr:Josh Kelley he:ג'וש קלי pt:Josh Kelley

name	Rizwan Khan
birth date
birth place	Aden, South Yemen
education	University of Wales Medical Physiology (B.Sc.) University of Portsmouth Radio Journalism (B.A.)
occupation	Reporter and Anchor at Al Jazeera
years active
website	}}

Rizwan "Riz" Khan (born April 1962) is a British television news reporter and interviewer who until April 2011 hosted his own eponymous television show on Al Jazeera English. He first rose to prominence while working for the BBC and CNN.

Life and career

Khan was born in Aden, South Yemen, to a Punjabi father and Gujarati mother. His father's roots hail from Pakistan-administered Kashmir while his mother's roots go back to Kutch, Gujarat. He considers himself as a British Pakistani. Khan moved with his family to London, at the age of four. He attended both Springwell Junior and Hounslow Manor Comprehensive Schools and joined the Air Training Corps, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Medical Physiology from the University of Wales, and then completed a postgraduate course in Radio Journalism at the University of Portsmouth.

In 1987 he was selected for the BBC News Trainee scheme - a two-year BBC training system, usually taking only 6 people per course. Khan progressed to jobs as a BBC reporter, producer, and writer, working in both television and radio, and would later become one of the founding News Presenters on BBC World Service Television News. He hosted the news bulletin that launched BBC World Service Television News in 1991. In 1993, he moved to CNN International, where he became a senior anchor for the network's global news shows. Events he covered included the 1996 and 1999 coverage of elections in India; the 1997 historic election in Britain; and in April 1998 the unprecedented live coverage from the Muslim pilgrimage, the Hajj.

In 1996 he launched his interactive interview show ''CNN: Q&A; with Riz Khan'', and he has conducted interviews with guests including former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, former US Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, the Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela, and genomic scientist J. Craig Venter. Khan also secured the world exclusive with Pakistan's General Pervez Musharraf following his coup in October 1999. Khan also hosted ''Q&A-Asia; with Riz Khan''. These interactive shows put world newsmakers and celebrities up for viewer questions live by phone, e-mail, video-mail and fax, along with questions and comments taken from the real-time chatroom that opens half-an-hour before each show.

Khan hosted his show, ''Riz Khan'', on Al Jazeera English, interviewing analysts and policy makers and allows viewers to interact with them via phone, email, SMS messages or fax. The show came to an end in April 2011.

Khan speaks Urdu and Hindi and also understands other South Asian languages such as Punjabi and Kutchi. He has studied French, and can understand some other European languages, including Swedish.

In 2005 he authored his first book, ''Al-Waleed: Businessman Billionaire Prince'', published by Harper Collins.

In 2011 he authored a preface for the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) annual report "Attacks on the Press 2010", which examined working conditions for journalists in more than 100 countries.

References

"Why I'm Joining Al Jazeera", op-ed by Riz Khan, ''The Wall Street Journal'', 13 June 2005, p. A1

"Q&A; CNN Anchor: Riz Khan". ''India Today''. February 19, 2001.

External links

Riz Khan's official website

Profile at Al Jazeera English

MySpace Profile

Interview with Baron Dave Romm of KFAI-FM at the Republican National Convention Sept. 2, 2008 and picture

Category:1962 births Category:Al Jazeera people Category:Alumni of Cardiff University Category:Alumni of the University of Portsmouth Category:British Muslims Category:British people of Indian descent Category:English people of Pakistani descent Category:British journalists Category:British television presenters Category:Living people Category:Punjabi people Category:Gujarati people Category:People from Aden

ar:ريز خان he:ריז ח'אן sw:Riz Khan no:Riz Khan